How to get rid of black cockroaches at home

Where do black cockroaches come from in an apartment?

To effectively combat cockroaches, you need to know where these creatures come from in your living space. Black cockroaches in an apartment can occur as follows:

• from the basement, especially if it is flooded;
• with postal items;
• with household appliances or clothes purchased secondhand;
• through the sewage system in the toilet and bathroom;
• from the entrance through the open door;
• from a garbage chute;
• together with products purchased in a store;
• with vegetables purchased at retail outlets;
• from neighbors through cracks in the wall;
• when buying new furniture in a store;
• in the bag you carried your lunch in to work.

Important! If large cockroaches appear in your apartment in small numbers, do not flatter yourself. Very little time will pass and they will pull their many relatives there too.

How to get rid of housing

So, when insects are detected, the first and most pressing question is the following - how to get rid of black cockroaches in an apartment. It should be noted that common folk methods, for example, the use of orange peels or cloves, are not an effective measure.

To kill insects, only chemicals should be used. You can do this either yourself or by calling professional exterminators.

Black

If black cockroaches appear in a residential area, first of all you need to find out how they got into the apartment. You should carefully examine the sewer pipes, ventilation grilles, that is, all communications that connect the apartment with neighbors’ homes or basement floors.

If insects enter through an apartment located behind a wall, it is recommended to cover the ventilation openings with fine mesh grilles. If you plan to treat the premises with chemicals, it is advisable to do this at the same time as your neighbors. If residents of a nearby apartment have already carried out the treatment, it is necessary to find out exactly what chemicals were used. When using the same product repeatedly, its effectiveness decreases significantly.

Insects can also appear in a private home. Methods for getting rid of uninvited guests are standard. However, you can use simpler methods. So, how to get rid of black cockroaches in a private home?

If insects appeared in the winter season, it is enough to simply freeze the room, that is, turn off the heating and leave the house for several days. This measure is quite sufficient for the death of colonies.

Sewer

Black cockroaches especially often crawl out of sink, bathtub, and toilet drains at night. This behavior is due to the fact that insects cannot exist without water. In order to prevent black cockroaches from entering the apartment from ventilation pipes, it is recommended to use the sink and bathtub as often as possible.

Keeping water in the pipes will help significantly reduce the likelihood of insects entering the apartment. Otherwise, the methods on how to get rid of sewer cockroaches are the same. You can find out more about them below.

Basement

The most common places where black cockroaches accumulate are basements, where there are all favorable conditions for the growth of insect colonies, namely moisture and warmth. As for food, a black cockroach needs a small amount of food to live, and if there is none, the insect can easily exist without food for two or more months.

If there are cockroaches in the basement, various chemicals will help deal with them. Such, for example, as gels, crayons and powders . With their help, it is necessary to treat all the cracks through which insects can enter the apartment. In order not to create favorable conditions for black cockroaches at night, it is recommended to carefully monitor the cleanliness of the kitchen, as well as block the insects’ access to water.

How to get rid of misfortune?

If you find black cockroaches in your home, you must start fighting them immediately. These arthropods reproduce rapidly in good conditions; each female is capable of laying more than 60 eggs in her life. In the photo you can see what adult cockroaches and their larvae look like.

Domestic cockroaches should be removed according to a certain algorithm:

1. Find the source. It is important to understand where the cockroaches came from in your private household. They can come from the sewer, from the attic or from neighbors.
2. Find the places where they are most concentrated. This could be a toilet, bathroom or kitchen.
3. Outline a strategy. Choosing a method to combat parasites, purchasing the necessary drug.
4. Application of poison. To get rid of the pest forever, you may need to use the product several times. First, they treat the places where cockroaches accumulate, and then all other places in the apartment.
5. Close the access to water. The huge black cockroach constantly needs water. Therefore, it is necessary to remove all sources of water and dry surfaces.
6. Closing the windows. Before you start treating the room for cockroaches, you should close all the windows and doors in the apartment.
7. Airing and cleaning the apartment. After the baiting of arthropods is completed, the room should be well ventilated and wet cleaned.

In practice, several effective methods of exterminating cockroaches are used. More often than usual, they practice treating premises with insecticides produced on the basis of chemicals. And the most modern option to combat this scourge is to use electronic devices designed to repel or exterminate insects.

There is also a folk option for fighting cockroaches, based on the use of various recipes, and other ways to control the population of these pests, which we will discuss below.

Mechanical and thermal methods

Mechanical effects on cockroaches are not very effective. It involves the cold-blooded killing of every insect found with one of the available objects. This is how you can fight if the number of arthropods is not large.

The method of freezing the entire house to remove cockroaches has been practiced since ancient times. To do this, choose one of the frosty winter days. In the morning, they turn off the heating in the house and open all the windows and doors wide. Sewer black cockroaches will die in the cold.

Chemical methods

Good results in the fight against arthropods are achieved through the use of chemicals. However, it is worth mentioning right away that cockroaches quickly get used to the drug, and from the second and subsequent treatments it does not give the expected result. Therefore, when choosing a chemical option for insect control, you need to alternate insecticides.

Chemicals for disinfection are available in the following forms:

• spray;
• gel;
• liquid poison;
• powder.

Liquid poisons

Chemicals in liquid form, when used in accordance with the instructions, are safe for humans and animals. They give a good effect when the degree of infection is very high. The only disadvantage of this option is the high cost of the drug.

Sprays

Insecticides can be produced in the form of a spray or aerosol. This form is very convenient due to the high penetrating ability of the substance. Thanks to this, it is possible to poison insects hiding in cracks or behind the baseboard.

The treatment must be carried out wearing protective equipment, and before spraying, all people and animals must be removed from the apartment. Windows and doors must be tightly closed at the time of treatment. After 3-4 hours of exposure, ventilation and wet cleaning should be done.

Important! Aerosols are not recommended for use in homes where people suffering from allergic diseases live.

The most famous insecticides produced in the form of sprays and aerosols are:

• Raptor;
• Tetrix;
• Battalion commander

Review of the most effective cockroach repellents

Gels and adhesives

Common forms of release of contact insecticides are gels and adhesives for cockroaches. They are applied on the floor near the walls in the bathroom, toilet and kitchen. In addition, it is recommended to place the drug behind sewer pipes, under the sink, and on the drain holes.

This adhesive substance has a pleasant smell for cockroaches. They go at it themselves, and then die as a result of poisoning. For ease of use, the gels are sold in a syringe, which makes it very easy to apply it to the surface. Gels can be intestinal and contact. Their validity period is 2 months.

Currently, the following brands have gained popularity:

• Dokhlos;
• Raptor;
• Fas;
• Storm;
• Combat;
• Global;
• Raid.

Attention! The drug in this form is not capable of killing insect eggs. Nymphs, young and adult individuals die from it.

Cockroach gels: review of 12 effective gels

Chalk and powders (dusts)

Another form of insecticide release is powder. Now there is a large selection of such certified products. This powder is scattered in a small layer in the habitats of cockroaches, but at a respectful distance from food storage areas. According to the instructions, it is recommended to dilute some powders with water before use, and then spray the rooms.

The most famous brands of powder products are:

1. Gett. Before use, this powder is diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 5. Then the solution is poured into the sprayer and processing begins. After an exposure of 4 hours, begin to ventilate the home for the same time. The insecticide is odorless and has a long period of action.
2. Ecokiller. This powder has an original mechanism of action on insects. Its active ingredient is diatomite, which has abrasive properties. In addition, this substance actively absorbs moisture from the outside. Contacting this substance, the cockroach damages the integumentary membrane of its body and dies from dehydration.
3. Frontline M. This insecticide is produced in Belarus and has nerve-paralytic properties. The active components of the product are fipronil and methoprene. The first has a contact effect on cockroaches, and the second is a component of intestinal action. The insect gets poisoned and quickly dies.
4. Clean house. This cockroach dust contains two components. They have a nerve-paralytic effect on insects. If you strictly follow the instructions, the result becomes visible after a couple of days.

Mashenka chalk, which is an excellent repellent, is also suitable for fighting cockroaches. Chalk is not capable of killing insects, but it has an effect on them that causes paralysis.

Traps

Traps are another means of removing cockroaches from an apartment. When there are a lot of children and pets in the house, a trap becomes perhaps the main tool in the fight against cockroaches.

These devices are different. There are traps that kill the victim with an electric current. Once you plug it in, you don’t need to do anything else, except for collecting dead arthropods from the tray.

The next type of trap is the bait trap. It consists of a plastic container, inside of which a product is placed that attracts cockroaches with a pleasant smell. The insect cannot resist such temptation and penetrates inside.

10 Most Effective Cockroach Traps

What awaits him inside? There may be:

• an insecticide, contact with which kills the insect;
• sticky substrate that envelops the insect;
• There is nothing inside except the bait, and the design features of the container do not allow the insect to get back out.

This is interesting! Craftsmen make such traps on their own. Wrap a glass jar with paper and grease the inner walls with oil. A piece of fruit is placed inside as bait. Cockroaches crawl into the jar based on the smell, but the slippery glass prevents them from getting out.

Among the commercial traps, “Combat Superbyte” has been popular for 40 years. The principle of its operation is simple: the cockroach enters the trap by smell and eats the poisoned bait. Infected with an insecticide, it returns to its relatives, comes into contact with them, as a result of which they also become infected. After a short time, all cockroaches die.

Methods for exterminating black cockroaches

If in ancient Rus' cockroaches were considered a symbol of prosperity and happiness in the home, now humanity has realized all the harm caused by these insects and has invented many ways to combat them.

Traditional methods

Safe for humans, but the most ineffective . They should be resorted to only if there are small children or pets at home who can be poisoned by purchased insecticidal products.

• Folk remedies include natural repellents, such as elderberry, bay leaves, pyrethrum, orange peels. Theoretically , the pungent smell of these plants should repel insects.
• They also use boric acid mixed with boiled egg yolk, and spread this mixture in places where parasites are most concentrated.

This is also interesting: Instructions: What to do if cockroaches are constantly bothering you

Mechanical and thermal methods

The mechanical method of destruction means manually catching and killing cockroaches. It is not possible to completely get rid of parasites using this method , because...
Cockroaches are nocturnal inhabitants and are practically invisible during the day. Even if you kill an entire flock, they may leave behind cocoons with the larvae of new individuals and you cannot avoid a new invasion. The thermal treatment method is also not suitable for everyone . Cockroaches die at low temperatures, and the lethal mark for them is -10 C°. In an apartment, it is unlikely that it will be possible to lower the temperature that much. This option is more suitable for summer country houses.

Chemicals

The largest group of funds. Today on the market you can choose the most optimal variant of a chemical preparation; their choice is large and each type has its own characteristics and characteristics.

Sprays

Very convenient to use. The drug is ready for use and is sold in pressurized cylinders. It is enough to spray an aerosol in an apartment, and the insects immediately die from the poison, but their use requires mandatory protection of the upper respiratory tract and the absence of people and animals in the treated area.

Today, many effective brands of aerosols and sprays are produced: “Raptor”, “Kombat”, “Raid”, etc.
Attention! Before treatment, you need to close all windows and doors, and after it leave the room for a while.

Gels and adhesives

They are more effective means, unlike sprays, and are several times cheaper . The gels are squeezed onto paper or special supports and placed in places where black cockroaches accumulate. They have a very attractive smell for parasites and the latter eat them with pleasure, thereby causing intestinal poisoning and death.

“FAS”, “Sturm”, “Kombat”, “Dohloks” - all these products are considered low-hazard for humans and have already rid many homes of insects.

Chalk and powders (dusts)

They are paralytic agents. You won't be able to get rid of a large number of black cockroaches using them . They are used to protect the territory from the invasion of new insects. The most popular chalk at the moment is “Mashenka”.

This is also interesting: How to easily get rid of cockroaches using an ordinary egg?

Traps

They are divided into 3 main groups according to the principle of action:

• They have bait inside and a mechanism that does not allow the cockroach to get back out of the trap . It can be either a tricky labyrinth or just a sticky base.
• They have electrodes . When an insect penetrates inside, it is killed by an electric current. A similar trap from the manufacturer Shenzhen Greathouse Electronics Industry Ltd, model GH-180, has proven itself to be quite good.
• They have an insecticide inside . They are similar in action to gels and glues, but, unlike them, they are safer for pets - the poisonous substance is inside.

Calling specialists

To exterminate basement or sewer black cockroaches, calling a pest control service is considered a reliable option. This service has special equipment and proven insecticides. They have at their disposal cold and hot fog generators, gas guns, with which they process the entire multi-storey building, including attics and basements, in a matter of hours. This work is carried out with a guarantee for several years.

Folk remedies and recipes

Folk remedies for fighting cockroaches are perhaps the oldest method. Its advantage lies in the safety of use. To do this, prepare bait and place it in places where arthropods can accumulate. The bait is prepared using the following home remedies:

• borax;
• boric acid;
• vinegar;
• ammonia;
• other strong-smelling substances.

Some of the most popular home recipes include:

1. Recipe with boric acid. Take the same mass of boric acid and sugar and mix them. Add flour, egg and water to the mixture. Next, you should knead the dough and make balls with a diameter of 1-2 cm from it. Place the balls in the habitats of cockroaches.
2. Recipe with borax. Mix a tablespoon of this substance with chopped boiled eggs and mashed potatoes. Make balls and place them where traces of cockroaches are found.
3. Recipe with vinegar. Dilute 2 tbsp in 300 ml of water. l. vinegar, adding 5 drops of eucalyptus oil. Spray the resulting solution in the room with a spray bottle.

10 best folk remedies for cockroaches

We have already noted earlier that cockroaches cannot tolerate strong odors and retreat from rooms that smell bad. This property of arthropods is used by homeowners to expel parasites. The following are used to repel insects:

• essential oils;
• ammonia;
• Bay leaf;
• pharmaceutical camomile;
• elderberry branch;
• geranium in a pot;
• kerosene.

Important! Kerosene is rarely used because its smell is unpleasant. They wipe the front door, baseboards and thresholds with it. Its smell is so strong that it is rare for cockroaches to re-enter an apartment.

Where do cockroaches come from?

How do these nasty insects get into our house or apartment? Where do they come from, and what might attract them to us? There are several explanations for this:

1. The best place for distribution and reproduction in multi-storey buildings is garbage chutes. There is more than enough food in this iron pipe and it is not cold even in winter. Cockroaches easily move along vertical planes, so they quickly travel from floor to floor.
2. If there is a grocery store, or a bar, or a restaurant on the ground floor of a residential building, then during the next baiting, all the cockroaches from there will successfully move to the floor above.
3. Also, cockroach eggs, or cockroaches themselves, can be brought home with purchased furniture. Guests can bring them with them in their bags without even knowing it.
4. Or you can bring cockroach egg capsules with vegetables purchased from a store or market.

If you notice, cockroaches have many opportunities to get into your apartment. But this is not the worst thing, but the fact that large black cockroaches remain in your apartment. This indicates that you have some problems. For example, there are often bread crumbs lying under the table, or the trash can sits overflowing for several days. The presence of puddles of water in the toilet, or in the kitchen under the sink, also creates favorable conditions for cockroaches to fall in love with you and your apartment.

Prevention of occurrence

There is no better prevention against cockroaches than perfect cleanliness in the apartment. Here are the conditions required to prevent cockroaches from colonizing your home:

• wash dishes immediately after eating;
• store bread and rolls in sealed plastic bags;
• collect crumbs of bread and other products that have fallen on the floor from the table;
• take out the trash promptly;
• Clean kitchen cabinets regularly;
• do not clutter the apartment with unnecessary items;
• ventilate the apartment every day;
• Perform daily wet cleaning of the apartment and weekly general cleaning;
• plant a geranium in a pot and place it in the room, it will act as a repellent.

Attention! Water should not drip from the tap if it is closed. Deny cockroaches any access to water, especially at night when they are most active. Insects will not live in an apartment where there is no way to quench their thirst.

Having discovered black cockroaches in your home, you first need to find out where they came from. Next, depending on the number of arthropods, it is necessary to develop a strategy for combating cockroaches and immediately begin exterminating them.

Prevention of black cockroaches

Finally, the black cockroaches left the apartment. Final victory? Alas, this is not true. In multi-storey buildings, insects scurry in search of food from apartment to apartment, through garbage chutes and basements. It is best to carry out simultaneous treatment of all apartments, this is the only way to achieve a 100% result.

And as preventative measures, you need to adopt a few simple rules.

• Lost food must be disposed of in a timely manner, because it is a real delicacy for a cockroach.
• Under no circumstances should garbage be left overnight; in extreme cases, the bin should be tightly closed with a lid.
• Products that are in the public domain are a real feast for insects.
• In general, they prefer to live in the kitchen and bathroom, since water and food are available here. Black cockroaches in the bathroom quench your thirst, so the floor needs to be wiped as often as possible. In addition, regular cleaning of the sink and toilet is recommended.;

Pest control specialists will make the work of removing insects easier and will allow you not to think about where big black cockroaches come from. Professionals use only modern equipment and effective means. In this case, there is hope that cockroaches will not appear for a long time, and maybe never.